Steep terrain forced rescuers to pause the search overnight

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The search for a missing hiker in Towsley Canyon ended Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after a friend reported him missing, officials said.

Brian Napoli, 24, was rescued by helicopter on Tuesday near Newhall, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Napoli appeared to be dehydrated, and has been transferred to a hospital for treatment, sheriff's Lt. Mark Hershey said.

The search for Napoli began Monday afternoon after a friend reported him missing about 4:45 p.m. It appears he was hiking by himself, said Detective Doyle Winslow, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Santa Clarita station.

Authorities suspended their search late Monday evening due to steep terrain that made rescue attempts more dangerous after sunset. The air and ground search resumed Tuesday at 7 a.m.

“Once you get off the beaten path, it can be treacherous if you’re not paying attention or if it’s dark,” Winslow said.

During the search for Napoli, the hikers' relatives also went missing. The man and woman have since been located, but are stuck on a ledge and afraid to descend, according to the sheriff’s department.

A search team was dispatched late Tuesday morning to get them to ground safely, Hershey said.

The canyon is a 5.3-mile loop trail nestled in the Santa Susana Mountains, according to Modern Hiker.

While temperatures were not a factor for Napoli, record-breaking heat may have played a factor in a hiker’s death Sunday.

A 56-year-old man died Sunday while hiking in Runyon Canyon Park. Paramedics attempted to perform CPR, but the man died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.